


The Mighty Blue Paladin

by Lil_Lioness



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuban Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance stands up for himself, Langst, allura is kinda mean im sorry, argument, correction lance WAS a mess, friendships r strong, might be some swearing I forget rn, some people are out of character sooorrrryyyy, they/them pronouns for Pidge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 10:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13293090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Lioness/pseuds/Lil_Lioness
Summary: That was the day Voltron finally became a team, not just five Earthlings thrown into a galactic war. The day Lance, the mighty Blue Paladin stood up for himself, and demanded the respect of his peers.





	The Mighty Blue Paladin

“No.” The Cuban boy stood tall, at his full height, as he stared the Princess down. 

“I’m sorry, what did you say to me?” The shock in her voice was reflected on the faces of each Paladin, all gathered in close to hear what was about to happen.

“I said no. I don’t agree with you. I think what I did was perfectly valid, and I will not stand here and let you verbally abuse me again.” His eyes were full of ice, defiant of what had become the normal routine. Lance would stand his ground, no matter the cost in sight. 

“What right do you have to argue with me? I am the Prin-”

“Yes, the Princess of Altea, the trusted guardian of the Paladins. Sorry to break the news to you Princess, but your planet is dead.” His voice was monotone, dull and blunt. 

“Lance, that's enough.” Shiro’s gruff voice chimed in, with a strict undertone. 

“No. It isn’t enough. I’m sick of this dammit. I’m sick of this! I’m sick of it always being ‘Lance stop, Lance you were wrong, Lance Lance Lance.’ Well guess what, I’m over it. I’m standing by my decisions. And what I did today saved your ass.” The boy stood proud, almost towered over Shiro, despite the height difference. His shoulders were held back, and his eyes steady as he took in the scene in front of him. Each paladin, deciding how to react to this outburst.

“Paladin Lance, if you think this unfair, then perhaps you are not fit to pilot a lion...because this behavior is not working as a team, rather against the team.” Though Lance stood proud, Allura stood tall. Looking down on the blue paladin, displeased with this sudden behavior. 

“You’re right. It’s not working as a team. But neither is the way you treat me. And don’t say it's because I need help, I’m less than them. Because that’s bull shit. There’s this concept on Earth, one I’m pretty damn fond of, that each person has something to bring to the table. We all have our own skills, we all help in the way we can. And I’m sick and tired of being undermined here. I train just as much as Hunk does, more than Pidge. I help with repairs around the castle more than Keith or Shiro. I take my turn on bridge duty. I carry my weight here. And don’t tell me I don’t.” Lance’s voice grew louder with each point he made, refusing to step down. “I’m so sick and tired of how I’m put down around here. Even when I save you. No matter what I do I’m repremened. But if Keith goes against formation its ‘Excellent work as usual, quick thinking like that is leader quality’. When Hunk goes against a plan it's ‘His heart is so big, so compassionate. Truly a defender of the Universe’. When Pidge tried to leave, hell everyone understood. And don’t even get me started on Shiro. He’s a great leader sure, but he plays favorites like a broken record. ‘Great job Keith, keep it up Keith, take the lead Keith’. But me? It's always ‘get back in line Lance, don’t be stupid Lance, stop thinking about yourself Lance” By now, the Cuban boy had stared down each of his teammates, challenging them to contradict him. 

But they couldn’t. Not a single one of them could say anything. Because he was right. He was so so right, but what could they do? They chose to sit in silence as the argument waged on. 

“We speak of you this way because you need strict guidance. You act selfishly and without plans! You act not as a chosen paladin but a boy.”

“I AM A BOY! I’m not even a legal adult! I didn’t ask to come here dammit. I didn’t ask to save this universe. You think I don’t know how much easier this would have been had it been anyone else? I’m not a great pilot, I’m not a natural leader or a tech whiz. I’m just a homesick boy from Cuba who misses his family dammit. Don’t you get what that's like? Or did you lose your empathy when Altea died. I’m missing my niece's’ birth. I’m missing my youngest brother’s sixth grade graduation. I’m missing my older sister’s wedding. LIFE IS STILL HAPPENING AND THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW I’M ALIVE.” tears streamed down his face, tears of anger, of loss, of pain. And now even the Princess looked on in shock. “I get I’m not perfect, believe me. I know I flirt and I joke a lot. But that's easier than facing the fact that my family may never know what happened to me. That I am never going home. You never gave us a chance to mourn that. You never slow down and realize that we haven't lost everything yet. I wasn’t broken when I came here. But I sure as hell am now.”

Allura hesitated, but steeled her eyes and continued, “If you are broken, perhaps it is time you give up piloting the lion. Perhaps it is time I ste-”

“Like hell. Blue wouldn’t open for you if she had to.” Lance scoffed, offended by the thought. 

“And why do you say this paladin?” the hurt was clear more than ever in her eyes. 

“Because she chose me. She taught me how to connect with her, how to bond. And until the day I die in her cockpit, or on some god forsaken ship, she’s loyal to me.” The blue paladin and princess had gotten closer over the course of the conversation, while the others backed away. 

“She will do what is best for Voltron. It’s what she was made to do.” Allura spoke with near venom in her voice, blinded by anger that the boy in front of her dared to object, dared to disagree. 

“I am what’s best for Voltron. Don’t you get it? I sit here and I take all this bull shit you throw at me. I sit back and encourage and help everyone else. I push people to their limits in ways you couldn’t understand. Who brings Pidge food and blankets when she stays up late working at cracking codes you say need to be done already? Who keeps Hunk healthy when you push him to do to much for his body to handle? Who keeps Keith from over working his body on the training deck, standing by with a med pack on hand just in case? Who reminds Shiro that leaders need sleep too, and makes sure he takes the medication for his PTSD? No one. Not if I go. Blue chose me because I have compassion for those around me. Blue chose me because I know how to hold someone together. Blue chose me because I know what it feels like to work harder than anyone else and be left with nothing. Blue chose me because I am the Blue Paladin of Voltron. And nothing you or anyone else says will ever change that.”

The whole team looked on, as Lance seemed to grow with every point he made. He stood, sure of himself and his spot in Voltron. He stood as a boy who had left his home to go to the Garrison, as a boy who let a foolish rivalry lead him to space, as a boy who had struggled and fought himself for his own worth. He stood before them a matured young man who wanted to help everyone, who wanted more than anything to love himself. Proud, finally, of who he had become, and sure without a doubt of his own place in the war they fought, Lance looked around to each of his peers, a steel in his eye that none had noticed before. He would not back down, he would not doubt his place with them. 

“If you can’t accept that I am the best thing for this team, maybe it's you who needs to learn what being on a team means. No offence Princess, but you were raised royal. You were raised to lead a planet, not a team of four kids and one ranking officer from Earth. You don’t get to tell me, or any of us for that matter, what’s best for us. You know how to be an Altean. You know how to lead your people. But we are NOT your people. Tell me, who lead Voltron in the beginning. Your father or Zarkon. Was it lead as a part of Altea, or as a team of individuals who all had their own beliefs, who came together despite them and worked to be fair to everyone? We are not yours to command. You don’t control Voltron. I’ve read the old files, the reports and the records. Voltron is not meant to be owned and controlled, but let to work and fix and learn as its own being. So you can either step up and learn how to play nice with others, or you can watch me walk out that door, and try to find Blue a new paladin she choses.” 

As Lance stood, waiting for an answer, Shiro spoke up for the first time. 

“Lance… I think that maybe we all need to-”

“No. We don’t. Whatever it is you’re going to say, we don’t. We don’t all need sit down and talk it out, we don’t all need to respect that the Princess lost everything. Because she isn’t the only one. Pidge lost their family. Hunk lost his safety. I lost the chance to ever see my family again. Keith lost who he thought he was. You lost how many months of your life. Coran lost his planet too, but you don’t see him belittling me do you? This doesn't just have to do with her. This goes to everyone. You either all step up and play nice and accept that sometimes, just sometimes I might be justified in what I do. That I was chosen for a reason. That I can do things in my own right. Or I walk. I’m sure the rebellion would be glad to have a former Paladin of Voltron. So make a choice. It’s now or never.”

Seconds ticked by, and slowly, Hunk stepped towards Lance. Then Pidge stepped to stand with the two. Finally, Keith looked at Shiro, and stood by Lance, “I may not like it, and it may be hard to accept. But he’s right. None of us have treated him like a true part of the team. He got us up here, Blue opened for him. Planets respect him, listen to him. Locals from every planet we’ve visited have listened to him when they won’t to the rest of us.”

Pidge spoke up next, “Lance, I’m sorry. We all should have been paying more attention. You always had my back at the Garrison, I’ve got yours here.”

Hunk, last to speak, put his hand on his best friend’s shoulder, “If Lance walks, I go with him.”

Finally, finally the Princess gave in with a sigh. 

That was the day Voltron finally became a team, not just five Earthlings thrown into a galactic war. The day Lance, the mighty Blue Paladin stood up for himself, and demanded the respect of his peers.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay first, I love Allura don't get me wrong. I just needed Lance standing up for himself and loving himself and not doubting himself. And I love all the characters I swear!!!!!!!! I just wanted to write Lance as strong and sure, even though he had doubts, he decided he was good enough with out anyone having to tell him! yay  
> also if you have any concerns or corrections, feel free to tell me, just don't be mean to me and I won't be mean to you.  
> I am but a poor college kid who writes poetry and studies theater


End file.
